Concussions and Parkinson’s Disease
Favre’s diagnosis does not surprise Parkinson’s experts. “There’s a strong correlation between getting your head hit a lot and having neurological symptoms,” says Ihtsham Ul Haq, MD, the chief of the movement disorders division at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
“The question becomes: Is the trauma creating the disorder or is it accelerating a problem that was already beginning?” says Dr. Haq, who was not involved in the 2020 study. “Parkinson’s disease, like other brain diseases, comes from gradual damage to the nerve cells, and damage from repeated head injury may allow Parkinson’s disease to show itself more quickly or more easily than it would have otherwise.”
Because positive health behavior changes have been shown to possibly slow the effects of neurological disorders, the authors of the 2020 study advise people who have suspected CTE to pursue interventions including weight loss, exercise, improving sleep, and implementing a low-salt diet.
Treating conditions that may affect the brain, such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea, depression, high cholesterol, diabetes, and low testosterone may also help, according to the researchers.
“Exercise, healthy eating, and getting the proper amount of sleep goes a shockingly long way to maintaining brain health,” says Haq, adding that these measures don’t just help football players coping with CTE, but anyone looking to fortify their brain, nervous system, and emotional well-being.
Head Injuries Tied to Dementia and Suicidal Thoughts
“We found that players who think they have CTE are far more likely to report that they’re having cognitive symptoms, or issues with thinking, memory, and concentration,” says the lead author, Rachel Grashow, PhD, the director of epidemiological research initiatives for the Football Players Health Study at Harvard University in Boston. “Players who believe they have CTE were also more likely to report low testosterone, headaches, chronic pain, and depression, which all can interfere with cognitive function.”
Nearly 20 percent of those with perceived CTE reported being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, or another dementia, compared with about 3 percent of the group without perceived CTE.
About 25 percent of participants who believed they had CTE also reported suicidality, compared with 5 percent of participants who did not believe they had CTE.
The researchers noted depression was the strongest risk factor for thoughts of suicide or self-harm, whether a former player believed they had CTE or not.
Symptoms of CTE Are Treatable
“We want to remind players, their families, and their medical care providers that depression is by and large a treatable condition, whether one uses psychotherapy, medication, or lifestyle interventions like exercise to address depressive symptoms,” says Dr. Grashow. “Since we saw five times as much suicidality in former players who think they have CTE, surveilling for depression in former players who think they have CTE is warranted.”
Grashow and her colleagues emphasize that treating the many issues linked to CTE could help improve players’ cognitive function and overall mental health.
“Living former players should focus on treating their hormonal imbalances, pain — be it chronic physical pain or headache — and their depression,” says Grashow. “This proactive and holistic approach offers our best possible route to improving the health, quality of life, and length of life in living former NFL players right now.”’
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